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The Heist
Season 1, Episode 5
The Heist
Airdate 3rd November 1985
Written by James Schmerer and Larry Alexander
Directed by Alan Smithee
Episode Guide
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The Gauntlet
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The Heist is the 5th episode of Season 1 in the original version of MacGyver.

Synopsis[]

When a senators aide gets killed and his cache of diamonds gets stolen by a greedy casino owner in the Virgin Islands, Angus MacGyver and the senator's daughter vow to infiltrate the casino, break into the vault, and steal them back.

Summery[]

Act 1[]

In the Virgin Islands a plane lands and two guards unload Daniel Sims who has 60 million in conflict diamonds in his suitcase. The guards hand Sims over to their boss Jack Catlin who kills Sims and takes the diamonds for himself.

In Washington DC Angus MacGyver is given his mission by Senator Rhodes. MacGyver is to sneak into the Virgin Islands with Rhodes' daughter Chris and find some way to get into Catlin's casino. Once inside they need to find their way into the cash vault on the ground floor and into the counting room of Catlin's private vault to locate the diamonds.

MacGyver flies to the Virgin Islands and meets up with Chris at the airport and they go over the plan. Chris takes MacGyver to Catlin's casino and they watch his Bo staff match. When the match concludes Catlin meets with his contact a woman who has agreed to fence the diamonds and fly Catlin to the Netherlands with them. MacGyver realizes this mission is going to be tougher then he thought he needs to find the diamonds and get them out

of the Virgin Islands in 48 hours or Catlin is gone.

Back at Chris' hotel room MacGyver and Chris plan phase 1 of the Heist which will comprise of four MacGyverisms all have to be done at the same time or Catlin will get suspicious and they can get caught. Chris warns that the casino is dishonest so they will not know they have been had until it is too late.

For Phase 1 MacGyver will sneak into the casino as a high roller he needs to create a diversion and keep Catlin's girls away from the table while he swaps the dice. Once he has the dice MacGyver will sneak into the men's room and polish them to make them loaded. Once the dice are loaded he will place bets until he has enough and than he will sneak into the vault. Once he has confirmation about the vault he will meet up with Chris and they will plan Phase 2. MacGyver and Chris get dressed in their party cloths with Chris saying that MacGyver looks like James Bond.

Act 2[]

It is now time to put Phase 1 into motion. For the diversion Mac used a paperclip and some string to hook the zipper on one of Catlin's girls and she has a wardrobe malfunction which gives him enough time to sneak over to the table and swap the dice. MacGyver signals to Chris to take his place as he heads into the men's room for the next MacGyverism it is time to load the dice. MacGyver sprinkles talcum powder on the buffing machine and sands the dice down to load them so they come up 7 each time. MacGyver uses this to beat the craps table and Catlin takes notice. One of his girls Tiffany goes over to MacGyver and he calls himself James Bond.

MacGyver tried to do one more round but the croupier and Catlin stops him saying he has over drafted his chips and can not go one more round. Catlin takes up his bet and MacGyver is allowed to go one more round. The dice land up 7 but MacGyver quickly switches them out before Catlin gets suspicious and drops them in his drink. Catlin takes MacGyver down to the vault and he places his chips inside. The diamonds are not here MacGyver will have to look somewhere else.

Chris watches MacGyver come back from the vault by hiding behind a slot machine as Catlin takes the dice and throws them they come up an unseen number. The waitress than comes over with the drink MacGyver ordered and inside are the loaded dice. MacGyver has been caught and is about to be taken out when Chris fakes a seizure. MacGyver escapes out the back but the guards spot him and chase him through the stairwells. MacGyver uses the floor waxing machine to block the door by tying the cord around the panic bars so Catlin and his guards can not open it. To get out MacGyver needs to create one final diversion he does the Air Cylinder Rocket Trick to send the mobile bar towards the guards allowing him enough time to escape. Chris meets MacGyver outside on her bike and MacGyver tells her the bad news they will have to break into Catlin's penthouse.

Next morning at Chris' hotel room MacGyver wakes up with a hangover and they go over Phase 2.

Act 3.[]

For Phase 2 there are six MacGyverisms all have to be done at the right time so MacGyver and Chris get inside without getting caught. To complicate things Catlin's penthouse has three traps inside and out and MacGyver needs to disable them or he will get caught. The first trap is a camera in the main hall Mac will have to blind it so he can pick the lock on Catlin's door and get inside. The second trap is on the threshold Catlin has a laser alarm system Mac will have to get past it without trigging it by creating an opening. The third and final trap is the door to the vault itself only Catlin knows the code so Mac will have to listen for it so he can mimic the code to open the vault.

Once inside Mac has to dump the diamonds down the drainpipe which he and Chris have modified so the diamonds fall into MacGyver's trunk so they can plan their escape.

While Mac is sneaking into Catlin's penthouse Chris has three MacGyverisms of her own she needs to do to keep Catlin out of his penthouse so they can get inside. The first one Chris will head to the roulette pit and take her shoes off and rig the roulette wheel so it lands on the number she picked. Once Catlin leaves Chris will use a modified ring to mark the cards at the blackjack table to get past the croupier. Once the cards are marked and Catlin sees her she needs to hide behind the slot machine and place the magnet into the hopper and wait for MacGyver's signal.

Before either of them go in MacGyver will place an alarm clock in the electrical room and attach the wires from the slot machines to it. When the clock hits 2:10 AM the wires will short out triggering a jackpot and will create a diversion so Chris can get out and transfer the diamonds into MacGyver's trunk.

To begin Phase 2 MacGyver and Chris drive to the casino and hide their cars. Mac rigs the drainpipe so when he gets the diamonds they will fall into his trunk. He tells Chris they have one hour to get the diamonds or Catlin escapes and they can get caught. Chris goes into the casino and waits by the slot machine while MacGyver sneaks into the electrical room and rigs the casino's wires to the alarm clock so he can signal Chris when it is time to place the magnet in the hopper.

Mac now heads to Catlin's penthouse he takes out a coat hanger and Chris' makeup mirror he will use these to blind the camera so he can pick the lock.

Chris waits by the roulette pit for her signal while MacGyver attaches the hanger to the camera to blind it. Right on time Catlin comes out and heads to the casino floor the first part of their plan is in motion. MacGyver places the hanger on the camera and the security guards come to investigate while MacGyver picks the lock and sneaks into Catlin's penthouse.

Chris heads to the roulette pit and takes off her shoes and rubs them under the table to rig the wheel. Catlin gets suspicious and comes over to her table and the first round of roulette ends.

Upstairs Mac breaks in and pulls the hanger off before the guards show up. Now that he is inside MacGyver needs to disable the laser alarm and hide before Catlin gets back. Luckily Catlin left something for MacGyver to use. Mac takes the cigar ash and sprinkles it on the lasers so he can see them and heads to the lamp and pulls the fiber optic stands.

Down in the casino Chris is playing roulette and has rigged the wheel with her shoes with Catlin saying that her luck is changing.

Back in the penthouse MacGyver pulls the fiber optic cable out of the lamp and forms a hoop with it and places the stands into the lasers so he can get inside once through he removes them and hides in the closet until Catlin gets back but the bird complicates things. Mac also finds the vault but it has a tone lock on it and Catlin knows the code, so Mac will have to hide and wait for Catlin to come back to give him the code.

Down in the casino Chris is still winning on the rigged roulette wheel and Catlin does not notice Chris is running her shoes under the table to rig it. Suddenly alarms go off in the casino security center they know Mac is in the penthouse and go to warn Catlin.

Catlin heads back to his penthouse as planned and gives Mac the code. The diamonds are in his vault now Mac has to get them. When Catlin leaves Mac comes out of the closet and sets up the wine glasses he needs to get the tone right to discover the code.

Back in the casino Chris is finishing up roulette she needs to get away from the table soon because she needs to be at blackjack by 2AM. The gambler realizes the table is rigged so Chris slips away and heads to blackjack with 10 minutes to spare.

Back in the penthouse Mac is trying to get the code right. he got the first two tones right but the last two the pitch is too high so he adjust it and gets the code and begins to dump the diamonds down the drainpipe using part of the lamp as a funnel.

Chris removes the magnet and places it in her purse and heads to blackjack.

Mac removes the last section of the drainpipe and pores the diamonds down it. Down in the casino Chris has two minutes to get over to the slot machine and place the magnet in the hopper before the alarm clock goes off. Chris marks the cards and then makes her getaway just in time and places the magnet in the hopper just as the alarm clock goes off shorting out the lights and triggering a jackpot. Mac pores the diamonds down the drainpipe just as Chris makes her escape.

Act 4[]

Chris makes her escape and assembles the drainpipe just in time so the diamonds fall right into MacGyver's trunk. Inside the riot is getting worse and Catlin notices that Chris placed the magnet in the hopper and comes out with his guards. When the last bag is in the trunk Chris hops in her car and drives off before security can catch her. Mac is the last to leave and heads to his car with the diamonds. Chris tries to ram Catlin with her car but she gets caught.

Back at Chris' hotel room Mac answers the phone and Chris is on the other end. Catlin demands the diamonds back and tells MacGyver to bring them to the airport. Mac heads to the park outside the airport and is intercepted by Tiffany who points a gun at him and leads MacGyver into the airport.

The car is loaded into the plane and Mac meets Chris inside. Catlin threatens him and Mac tells Chris to scratch Catlin with her ring. This is not enough and Catlin locks them inside the cargo hold and climbs to 30,000 feet while Mac and Chris seal the cabin with a jack. Mac decides it is time for one final MacGyverism he ties the parachutes to the car and opens the hatch as the car flies out with them in it. Catlin can only watch as the car disappears over the horizon with the diamonds in the back. Chris comes up from where she was hiding and gives Mac a kiss. Mission Accomplished!

MacGyverisms[]

A complete list of problems solved by MacGyver is also available.
  • MacGyver uses string and a paperclip to cause a diversion while he sneaks over to the craps table to steal the dice so he can load them. He attaches the paperclip to the dress of one of the female gamblers so when he steps on the string the paperclip catches her zipper and causes her to have a wardrobe malfunction.
  • MacGyver uses the buffing machine in the men's room and some talcum powder to load the dice so he can cheat at craps.
  • MacGyver uses the cord of the floor waxing machine as a barricade so he can escape the casino.
  • MacGyver hit the end off some air cylinders to turn them into rockets to launch the bar at the guards.
  • MacGyver uses Chris' makeup mirror and a coat hanger to blind the camera he also attaches a string to remove it.
  • MacGyver uses cigar ash and fiberoptic cable to get past the lasers in Catlin's penthouse.
  • MacGyver uses the bird in the penthouse and some wine glasses to get the code to Catlin's vault to retrieve the diamonds.
  • MacGyver uses part of the lamp and the drainpipe he rigged earlier to load the diamonds into his trunk.
  • Chris uses her ring to mark the cards she also uses it later to scratch Catlin.
  • Chris uses a magnet in her shoes to rig the roulette wheel.
  • Chris uses her makeup kit to hide the magnet in the hopper and waits for Mac's signal.
  • MacGyver hooks the wires to an alarm clock so that when they touch they will short out and close the circuit to the magnet in the hopper triggering a jackpot.
  • MacGyver and Chris use the car jack as a barricade to seal the cabin.
  • MacGyver ties the parachutes to the car and uses it to jump out of the plane with the diamonds in the trunk.

Cast[]

Main Cast[]

Others
John Carter (IV) as Senator Rhodes
Doran Clark as Chris Rhodes
Larry D. Mann as Daniel Sims
Richard Jamison as Wilson
Christopher Kriesa as Player
Michael F. Kelly as Thomas
Jacqui Evans as Woman Gambler
Diane Diefendorf as Waitress
Gary Pagett as Croupier
Lloyd Bremseth as Guard
Patrick Francis Flannery as Nelson
Vernon Wells as Jack Catlin
Frank A. Miller as Pilot

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